Movable tab for file wrappers



June 28, 1938. H. M VON DOLLEN 2,122,223

MOVABLE TAB FOR FILE WRAPPERS Filed June 16 1957 Snnentor H.M. Voh Baum.

Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to movable tabs or nameindicators for file wrappers or for separationsheets, these sheets or wrappers being in general use and disposed vertically, side by side, for holding letters, documents, statements, and correspondence relating to business in compact form, and since the number of individuals, firms or corporations may be very great, each wrapper or sheet has generally been provided with a tab bearing the name or designating number of'a correspondent. Since such tabs are secured in fixed position on the wrappers or sheets, they often obstruct the view and cause delay and confusion in finding names, also these tabs thus exposed, often become detached or broken.

The object of the invention, broadly, is to provide slidable tabs for the file wrappers, said tab to consist of a frame adapted to bear the name or designating number of a correspondent and arranged to be maintained in non-sliding position on a track at the front of the wrapper.

The invention includes the track which is secured to the wrapper as well as the name-holding carrier-frame or movable tab.

The invention also includes a horizontal railstrip or track provided with parallel grooves and uniformly spaced depressions, notches, proportions or detent-members for receiving corresponding parallel ridges, and projections of the carrier-frame topermit sliding movements of the tab on the track to selected positions, and preventing any lateral swinging movements of the frame relative to the track.

With the foregoing objects in view and others which will appear, the invention consists of the new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes may be made in form, size and proportion of parts and minor details, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation showing the device secured to a sheet or file-wrapper or other support.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged, broken away sectional details. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing a nameholder adapted to be inserted in the carrierframe.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 6 indicates a filewrapper or other support of rectangular form in side elevation, and upon the upper part of said support, 'near its edge, is secured a horizontal, attenuated strip'loperating as a track, said strip or track being bent at its ends to provide basemembers 8 adapted to be secured to the support by suitable keepers 9.

The track I is also provided near its opposed edges to open on its front side with a pair of parallel grooves l0, and a row of detents ll mid- 10 way between said grooves Iii. These elements H of said row are uniformly spaced apart and may consist of notches or perforations, but preferably they consist of shallow depressions of circular contour as shown in the drawing, and they may be readily formed by punching and bending the material inwardly for each depresson.

I provide a carrier-frame I2 consisting of a resilient sheet, bent to provide a holder or socket I3 of loop-form best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing to operate as a container of a tab-holder 19 (Fig. 5), that part of the sheet which forms the rear part of the loop 13 being extended down wardly and formed at its lower edge with a flange a for loosely engaging the upper part of the track 1 near the edge thereof, the front of said loop [3 being provided with a sight-aperture Hi, and that part of the resilient sheet below the loop operating as a'control-plate 15 for co-operation with the track I.

The part I5 of the carrier-frame I2 is provided on its rear side with a pair of horizontal ridges l6 for engaging in the grooves ill of the track, and midway between the ridges IE it is provided with a pair of projections ll, the distance from each other of said projections I! being equal to twice the distance relative to each other of the depressions Ill of the track l, the form of the projections I! being of circular contour and of proportions corresponding to said depressions, and for operation, since the tab-carrier i2 is constructed of resilient material it may be moved horizontally to any part of the track to be disposed in locked relation with said track with its projections l1 engaging in a pair of depressions ll of the track.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lower part of the carrier-frame I2 is provided with a flange b adapted to loosely engage the rear side of the track, and when the carrier-frame is moved along on the track the flanges a and b which may lightly engage the rear side of the track will not prevent a sliding movement of the tab-carrier for the reason that the latter is of resilient material, and. an operator, by use of the handle l8 may move the lower part of the frame I2 outwardly to spaced relation from the track to permit this movement, the parts being of such proportion that the ridges it of the tab-carrier during this movement will not be completely removed from the grooves of the track.

One of the functions discharged by the pair of ridges IS in engagement with grooves I0 is to prevent any lateral movement of the tab-carrier relative to the track.

The tab-holder l9 shown in Fig. is constructed of an attenuated sheet material, and is bent at its upper and lower edges to provide a pair of inclined gripping-flanges c and a namecard :0 may be removably secured in operative position in this. holder between its main bodyportion and edges of the flanges c, said holder l9 being of such form that it may be inserted in the loop I 3 of the frame I2 and will fit snugly therein, and the space between the flanges 0 being adequate, so that the indicia on the namecard may be readily seen through the sightaperture I4 of the carrier-frame.

I claim as my invention,--

1. In movable tab construction for a support, a horizontal track secured at its ends to the support and formed with a pair of parallel grooves and provided at uniform intervals with a row of depressions mid way between said grooves, a carrier comprising a resilient elongated sheet formed between its ends with a pair of opposed, parallel ridges and a pair of projections midway between the ridges, an apertured loop adjacent the ridges and a pair of terminal flanges, a cardgripping member arranged to be removably mounted in said loop, said carrier being adapted to be disposed at the front with its flanges engaging the rear of the track and its ridges engaging in the grooves of the track, said carrier being movable along the track to dispose its projections in selected depressions of said track.

2. In movable tab construction for a support, a rectilinear track secured at its ends to the support, provided with a row of depressions on its outer side at uniform longitudinal intervals thereof and parallel grooves at the sides of said row, a carrier provided with an apertured loop, a pair of projections, and having a pair of parallel ridges engaging in the grooves of said track and adapted to have a sliding movement on the track for engagement of its projections in two selected depressions thereof.

3. In movable tab construction for a support, a track secured at its ends to the support and provided with parallel grooves and a row of depressions, a carrier provided with a pair of ridges engaging in the grooves of the track, an apertured loop adjacent the ridges and a pair of projections between said ridges, a card-gripping member removably mounted in the loop of said carrier, said carrier being movable along the track to permit its projections to engage in a pair of depressions thereof.

4. In a movable tab for a support, a horizontal track secured at its ends to the support and provided with a row of depressions and parallel grooves at the sides of said row, a carrier provided with a pair of projections, a pair of parallel ridges and an apertured loop, and adapted to be disposed with its ridges engaging in the grooves of the track and provided with a handle for moving said carrier on said track for engagement of its projections in a pair of depressions and a card-gripping member removably mounted in said loop.

HAROLD M. VON DOLLEN. 

